The In-between years
by hsds
Summary: A series of ficlets that take place during the 5 year jump.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** So this is partially because it's been milling in my head forever and partially as a sort of quick DS fix in between my other stories which take longer to update. So, enjoy. These are not long they are what I would call a ficlet. Each chapter will be between 500-1000 words. They encompass the period between Dan saying GG is dead and that beautiful wedding.

Summary: A series of ficlets that take place during the five year jump

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**The In-Between Years**

**Chapter 1: The Reveal**

Everyone is milling around after Chuck and Blair have returned from the police station. Serena has been aching to get Dan alone for hours. He is standing around talking to Nate when he feels a hand tugging him into the hall. She grabs his collar and pushes him up against the wall, her lips kissing a trail up his neck to his lips. "Serena, um what if someone walks in."

"I don't care," she says in between kisses. Her hands are now running through his curls. Dan couldn't catch his breath. She had removed his blazer and was now running her hands underneath his sweater. He knew this was a bad idea, so he grabbed her wrist and said, "We need to find a better place to do this."

Serena bites her lips. All she knows that she needs to feel him, all of him, but she also knows that he is right. Blair's hallway while her friends are milling around is not the right place for them to have sex. So, she grabs his hand and leads him up the stairs to her old room. The room is just as she left or as Dan left it. She pushes him on the bed. "This more your style?"

He smiles that crooked smile of his and reaches for her. Serena straddles him and helps him pull off his sweater. Ever since he revealed the reason for setting up Gossip Girl, she just wanted to lock him up in a room. She kisses up his chest and when she reaches his face she runs a hand along his jawline, her eyes speaking for her. He takes her hand and kisses her palm. He knew revealing the truth was a gamble, but she was his now and if he had anything to do with it, she always would.

Serena grabs his face and says, "Where did you go? You had that faraway look in your eyes again."

"Just thinking about today and how lucky I am," he says as he pulls her closer. His hands are roaming all over her body. He wants to be skin to skin. Dan reaches behind him and unzips her dress. He pulls roughly at the dress and she smiles. Dan reaches under the skirt of her dress and pulls at her panties while Serena undoes his pants. Their lust takes over and neither of them has the patience to fully remove their clothes. Serena straddles him as dan tugs the top of her dress down. She is a vision with her dress crumpled around her waist, her perfect cream breasts enticing him and her hair covering that angelic face of her. He reaches for her and kisses her hungrily as they ride the wave of their desire. They're panting and just as they reach their climax they hear the click of the door and they know they have been caught.

"I should have known," a disgruntled Blair said. She exists the room as quickly as she came in and Dan and Serena burst into a fit of giggles.

"We should get back down there, but I'm not done with you mister."


	2. Chapter 2

The In-Between Years

**Author's Note:** I know this one is short...

_**Chapter 2: The Cooking Lesson**_

Serena was resting her head on his shoulder as she drew circles on his chest. It was another lazy afternoon in bed. It's been 6 months since Blair's impromptu wedding and she'd been living with Dan since that fateful evening. She stretched lazily as dan smiled at her.

_So this is what happiness feels like_

She'd gone back to finish her degree and Dan spent his days writing, clicking away on his ancient typewriter. He rarely used his laptop. She was on it most days finishing up a paper for class. But, the semester was over and it was a gorgeous spring day. She wanted to do something; anything. Serena pushed the bedsheets off of them and pulled on his arm. "Come on."

"I don't want to. Come back to bed,"Dan urged.

"No, it's time for that cooking lesson you promised,"Serena said as she crossed her arms across her bare chest.

"And you plan on doing that naked?"Dan asked as he turned on his side to watch her. Serena glared at him and left the room. She went into the kitchen and starting removing pots and pans. Dan rushed to pull on a pair of boxers and a tshirt. He found her standing in the middle of their kitchen with an apron, a pair of heels on. She was a vision and he watched her as lustily. The counter had all the materials for the kiche he'd promised to show her how to make.

"Heels?"

"It makes me feel good."

Dan walks up behind her and runs his hands under the apron and along her torso, "and this? Does this feel good?" She rests her head on his shoulder as he runs his palms up her abdomen and along her breasts. He rubs her nipple between his thumb and fore finger sending a shot of warmth through her body. Her ass pressed against his pelvis and he kisses the spot right under her ear because he knows it drives her crazy. He abrupbtly stops what he's doing and says "Let's make some kiche."

"No, no. You don't tease me like that and get away with it?"

"You mean like you in this get up,"Dan remarks.

"Touche,"She says as she reaches for his shirt and pulls it off of him. Serena pulls down his boxers and pushes him towards the counter. Dan turns and picks her up and places her on the counter. She reaches for the apron strings, but Dan stops her. "I like it's hot."

She smirks and wraps her legs around his waist. He kisses her gently at first like he's singing a song of praise with his lips, but as she clings to him tighter his tongued dives roughly into her mouth. She can feel his passion as he stirs hers. Her heels dig into his back as he pushes into her. Serena can feel the pressure of the cold tile underneath her ass, but she doesn't care. He sends her to the brink and back again like no one else can. She wonders if she'll ever have enough of him, but she's willing to spend a lifetime finding out.


	3. Chapter 3

_**The In-between Years**_

_**Author's Note:**__ I know you guys want longer chapters, but the purpose of this fic is to give you guys a regular DS fix while I take my time to update my other fics. Each chapter ranges from 500-1000 words. This one is not as smutty as the last two, but there is plenty more M-rated chapters headed your way._

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_**Chapter 3: The Talk**_

"Dan this car will never be able to handle this trip?" Serena said as she stared at Rufus's old bug. Dan was intent on driving that thing down to Florida. She understood that he had an unusual attachment to the vehicle since it was a big part of her childhood. "But, it's a classic"

"It's old and it's going to die on us in the middle of the road. Be reasonable," she said as she caressed his face. He looked up at her sadly and sighed. "I guess you're right."

"We can rent one that looks just like it, okay. When we get back we can send it off to a good mechanic and we'll use it for our next trip," Serena said. She hated to see the look on his face, but for a practical person he could make some seriously impractical decisions especially if it collided with his romantic nature. There were things about him she was learning everyday despite having known him for years. For the first time in years, Serena felt comfortable in her own skin. They spent lazy Sunday afternoons lounging in their apartment as Dan rubbed her feet and they worked on the New York Times crossword puzzle. Serena had one more year left to finish her degree while Dan was working away at his latest novel. She was still trying to get him to go back and finish his degrees, but he insisted that he didn't need it.

A little over an hour later, they were on the road in a comfortable four-door sedan that Serena had talked him into renting. She fiddled with the radio as Dan hummed an unfamiliar tune under his breath. She finally found a station that suited them both. Serena laid back and watched him as he drove. His hair was getting long again and a series curl were getting in his face. "You really should get your hair cut."

"I like it long,"he said matterfactly.

She smiled at him mildly, "just think about hun."

Dan ran a hand through his hair. "Does it really bother you?"

"I love your curls, but a cut can't hurt."

He tapped on the steering wheel and said, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"I'll cut it,"he said.

Serena smiled and leaned over and kissed him briefly.

Dan turned on to a side street as Serena stirred. They'd been on the road for almost a day. He pulled into a small bed and breakfast that was facing the Atlantic Ocean. She stretched her arms and said, "Where are we?"

"Just outside of Charleston, "he replied. Serena yawned and pulled her hair back in a ponytail as Dan took their bags out of the trunk and brought them inside. She met up with him at reception where they were greeted by a woman in her mid-fifties. "Welcome, I have hope you have a lovely stay."

"Thanks, but we'll probably only be here for the night."

"Not according to the reservation that your husband made."

Serena smiled at the lady and said, "Oh we're not married."

"Oh I see. We get so many honeymooners around these parts that I just assumed. You make a lovely couple though."

"Thank you," Serena said as she took the key from the older woman. Once they were inside their suite, Serena laid back on the cushions and pressed her legs up to her chest. Marriage was the one topic that they had managed to avoid. They'd been back together for nearly two years and they'd been living together for most of that time. She hadn't really thought about it. The last thing she wanted to do was turn out like her mother with a series of failed marriages. "Dan?"

"Yeah babe."

"How come we're not married?"

"Where's this coming from?"he said as he joined her on the bed. "It's just that lady downstairs thought we were married."

"I guess I've just been enjoying being with you. I want to marry you if that's what you want. Are we really having this talk?"

She nodded and he turned to face her. "So, let's talk. Do you want to get married?"

"I don't know maybe some day. It's just my mom got married 7 times. Twice to my dad and twice to Bart. I just I don't want be like her."

Dan held her hand in his. "I know. I mean I guess I've always thought of getting married down the line, but we're so young and I don't want to be like my dad. But, I just know that I love you and want to be with you two we're so old."

"So, someday."

Dan smiled brightly and said, "Someday."


	4. Chapter 4

_**The In-between years**_

_**Chapter 4: Sunday Reading**_

_**Author's Note: **__I promised you guys some smut and here it is. I hope it's to your satisfaction. This one is a little short, but I am updating two chapters today._

Dan sat on the couch with his legs stretched out as Serena sat between his legs. They were taking turns reading from her favorite book of poetry. Poetry wasn't really his thing, but Serena loved it and for some reason she liked to force him to read it.

_There be none of Beauty's daughters._

_With a magic like Thee; _

_And like music on the waters_

_Is thy sweet voice to me_

Dan rolled his eyes and put the book in Serena's hands. "I feel ridiculous."

She turns and looks up at him with those big blue eyes and he knows he would do anything for her. "Why do you want me to read this?"

"I love the sound of your voice. It warms me."

He cocked his eyebrow and slipped his hand underneath her sweater and said, "I can think of a better way to warm you up."

"Read," Serena insisted. She settled back against chest as he read. His hand was still under her sweater drawing circles around her belly button as he recited the rest of the Byron poem. She felt his hand inch up and caress the underside of her breast "this poem is kind of sexy."

She turned over and took the book out of his hands and placed it on the floor. "No, the poem is romantic. You reading it is sexy."

"Why Ms. Van Der Woodsen was this merely a ploy to get me into bed because it was I approve," Dan said as played with the waistband of her jogging pants. She wriggled her hips as he worked the soft material down her legs leaving her naked from the waist down. He could feel the pressure of her head on his neck as he ran his fingers between her folds. The soft purr of her moans drove him crazy, but he was focused on her. Dan loved teasing her until she was begging for more. The knowledge that he could drive her half as crazy as she drove him made him smile. "Dan, why are you torturing me?" Serena asked between moans.

"Because I can," he whispered into her ear. He pressed a hand on her thigh a motion she was well accustomed to. They were so attuned to each other's bodies that smallest gesture was all that they needed to understand what the other needed. A hand pressed to her thigh was his signal for her to open up for him. He rubbed his thumb along her clit and dipped his fingers inside. Dan kissed the spot under her ear as he used his fingers to drive her wild. She was riding a crescendo of feeling until she reached the peak and he watched her with hooded eyes as she climaxed. Her scream echoing around them as her hips bucked against his hand. Once her ragged breathing was under control, dan lifted his fingers to his mouth and said, "tasty."

Serena slapped him playfully. "You're bad."

"And I'm just getting started," he said as he smiled and lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** I hope you like this ficlet. I know it's been awhile since I've updated, but I'll try to post more regularly

**Chapter 5: Meeting Nana**

Serena was nervous. She wanted Dan's grandmother to love him more than anything. Serena wasn't sure what to expect? Would she be a sarcastic introvert like her grandson or an artsy enigma like his mother? For all the years, she'd known Dan, his family had been a bit of a mystery. She of course knew Rufus well and Jenny too, but she'd only met his mother once and he rarely talked about any other family while Dan seemed to know the ins and outs of her family. Dan looked over at her in concern. "Everything ok?"

She smiled brightly at him and said, "Everything's great."

"Are you sure? You have that faraway look in your eyes," Dan said with concern.

"I guess I'm just a little nervous to meet your nana."

"Nana Humphrey is going to love you," he said as he manoevered the sedan into the parking lot of a retirement home. She got out of the car and looked around. Serena spotted an older couple playing shuffle board while others lounged around a pool. Dan walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. He knocked on the door and was greeted by a petite woman in a blue jumpsuit. "are you just going to stand there? Come in."

Dan and Serena followed the older woman as she led them into her small apartment. "Is that how you greet your nana boy? You should know better"

Dan smiled and wrapped his arms around his grandmother. "I missed you too Nana."

"My you're so much prettier in person. I've been keeping up with your little drama thanks to danny's little project."

"Nana!"

"What? You started that website for this girl? That's what you told me."

Serena smiled ear-to-ear. She may have been a delicate woman, but she definitely was a Humphrey through and through. She reminded Serena of both Jenny and Dan.

"So, Mrs. Humphrey I love your place,"Serena said as she picked up a wooden sculpture of a giraffe.

" Call me Evie. I got that on Safari. It was the one and only vacation that my Jonah took me on before he passed, bless his soul."

"I've always wanted to go on Safari,"Serena said.

The older woman slapped Dan on the back. "Whatcha you waiting for boy. Take her before time runs out."

"I'm only 24 Nana. We've got plenty of time. Anyways, where's iggy."Dan asked.

"You and that damn cat. He's loved this fat thing since he was little. I'm surprised the damn thing is still alive."

Serena leaned on Dan as Evie went to get the cat from the other room. She placed the cat in Dan's hands and Serena watched the transformation from man to little boy. "You miss me iggy. Is Gran treating you right? You getting so fat boy."

"Is he always so attached to that Cat?"Serena asked.

Evie motioned for Serena to join her in the kitchen. She put on a kettle. "Some tea?"

"I'd love some."

Serena sat at the small kitchen table as the older woman busied herself with making the tea. She placed a steaming mug in front of Serena and opened a cupboard and pulled out a small abulm. "I think you should take a look at this. Danny he likes to put on a tough act, but he's a soft one."

"I know that's why I love him."

The older woman smiled and squeezed Serena's hand. "I'm glad everything worked out. I was a little worry when he told me about his plan. I mean it's a bit half-cocked, but it's easy to see you are as crazy about him as he is about you."

"I am. He saved me."

Evie looked at Serena warmly, "You saved each other."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Sorry it's taken a while. Don't worry, Someone to watch over me is next peeps.

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**The In-Between Years**

**Chapter 6: Ghosts of Thanksgiving Past**

Serena was applying the finishing touches of her make-up when Dan came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You know you don't need any of that stuff,"he said as he nuzzled her neck.

"I like it."

"And I like the way you smell,"

Serena pushed him away and said, "We're headed down to my mother's for thanksgiving. Save that for later."

Dan let her go and leaned against the doorframe. "Do you really think this is a good idea. Thanksgiving really isn't our holiday. Something unpredictable and absolutely insane always happens."

"But, it's a family holiday Dan."

"Yes, exactly and our family is insane."

Serena placed her hand on her hips. "Well get used to their crazy. Plus this is our life now. We'll just have to grin and bear it while my mother gets drunk says something passive aggressive to your father while mine just chuckles maniacly."

"At least yours show up."

"At least we do Christmas with her,"Serena says as she wraps her arms around his neck. The strained nature of his relationship with his mother was something he rarely talked about. She just wanted to make things all better, but Alison and Dan were so much alike. They were two stubborn people who thought the other should be the first to break."

"You know you could just tell her."

"Oh that would go down really well. Hey, mom remember when you left when I was 16 and fucked up my life and nearly messed up Jenny's life. Well, I'm still mad."

"You can't keep holding it in,"Serena said as she kissed him lightly.

"But, repression and passive-aggression is the Humphrey way," Dan said as he played with the hem of her sweater.

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Dan and Serena arrived to dinner hand-in-hand. Almost everyone was there. Blair and Chuck were chatting with Nate while Eric was sipping a glass of wine as he rolled his eyes at something his mother had said. They greeted Lily and Dan kept checking his watch wondering what was taking his father and Jenny so long. "Have you heard from them?"He asked Lily.

"They mentioned something about making a last minute stop before dinner,"Lily said. Serena hugged her father while Dan looked at him questioningly. He still didn't trust the man. The man really had no idea how lucky he was to have a daughter like Serena—one he took for granted. If they ever had kids, he'd make sure they were treasured especially if they had a girl. William headed over to Dan. "Daniel."

"William,"Dan responded. It was like a test of wills and Serena joined Dan's side and he relaxed. "Don't make a scene," she whispered in Dan's ear.

"I'm not doing anything."

"But, you will. You have that look in your eye,"she said. He wraps and around her waist and smiles down at her. She's right. This is not the place. Thanksgiving was so stressful and it was only bound to get worse.

Jenny and Rufus arrive with a surprise that not even Dan is prepared for. Alison is with them carrying what looks to be a store-bought pie.

"Is that?"Dan asks.

"From your favorite bakery. Yes, it is Dan. Remember that time I sent you out to pick up a pie and you came home empty-handed."

Dan smiles shyly and looks over at Serena.

"But, you had something or should I say someone else on your mind,"Alison said. All of the Humphreys looked at Serena and started laughing.

"Am I missing some kind of Humphrey inside joke."

Alison offered the pie to Serena and said, "You mean he still hasn't told you?"

Dan shrugged and said, "It was a long time ago."

"What?"

"Well one thanksgiving, I saw you and Blair outside of the pie shop. She'd just dragged you from some bar and you'd cross the street and nearly been grazed by a cab."

"And he saved you,"Jenny interjected, "But, the pumpkin pie wasn't so lucky."

Serena looked up at him and smiled. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Dan simply shrugged and helped his mother out of her coat. He was still upset, but she was here and that was a start.


End file.
